Shipping-crate.



No.'769, 2l6. PATBNTED SEPT. 6, 1904. E. L. HAMMOND;

SHIPPING CRATE;

APPLICATION nun she-m9, 1903.

no MODEL.

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No. 769,216. PATENT-ED SEPT. 6, 19.04.

I B. L. HAMMOND.

SHIPPING CRATE.

. APPLICATION rum) 532129, 1903. N0 MODEL.

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PATENT .OFFICE.

SHIPPING-CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,216, dated September 6, 1904. Applicatiou filed September 9, 1903 Serial No. 172,510. (N0 model.) I

To all whom it mayconcern:

'Be it known that I, ERAsMUs L. HAMMOND. acitizen of the United States, residing at Dutton, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented anew and useful Shipping- (Jrate, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shipping-crates; provide a device of this class which shall possesssuperior advan tages in point of simplicity, durability, and general efiiciency. f

A special object of my invention is-to pro vide shipping-crates of aj durable and simple construction which may be racked or-super posed one upon another without danger of being crushed or injured, which would result in the destruction of the contents of such crates, and in which when such crates are piled in tiers there shall be free ventilation between the bottom of each crate and the top of the next subjacent one.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the'improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved crate with the lid removed. Fig. 2 is a side view'show ing two crates superposed. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the crates. Fig. 4 is a perspective detail view of the corner of a crate, showing a modification. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing another modification.' Fig. 6 is a detail view in perspective,

showing bottom slabs and the end slab supporting the same. 7

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated by similar numerals of reference. In the construction of my improved crate'I employ four corner-posts, each designated 1. These corner-posts are connected'in pairs'by means of the end slats 2 2, and theends of the crate thus formed are connected by .side' slats 3 3, which are nailed exteriorly to the corner-posts, overlapping the ends of the slats 2 at the ends of the latter. When nailing the end slats and the side slats to the corner-posts, I interpose lining-sheets t, which may be of pasteboard, veneer, or other suitable material, and strengthening-cleats 5 are nailed to the sides and ends of the box, the lining-sheets being included between said cleats and the slats, thus securing the lining material firmly in position. Y

The bottom of the crate is composed of a plurality of slats 6, which are nailed to the upper edges of a pair of-end slats or supporting-slats 7, which in turn are secured by nailing to the downward-extending ends of the corner-posts 1, which practically constitute four downward-extending legs 8, one at each corner of the crate. The body of the crate having thus been completed by the addition thereto of the bottom, I place therein a liningsheet 9, which latter,-as well as the liningsheets at the sides and ends, may be provided with a plurality of perforations for the admission of the necessary ventilation.

Exteriorlyupon the corners of the box I provide corner-braces consisting of slats 10, suitably nailed to the sides and ends of the box at the corners thereof and extending downwardly to overlap the bottom-supporting slats 7 and upwardly above the upper edges of the box or crate, so as to form what may be termed upwardly extending between which is fitted the cover 12, which is "composed of a-plurality of longitudinal slats 13, connected by cross-pieces 14. The corner-brackets l1,however, extend above the corner-brackets 11 cover when the latter is in position and serve to accommodate the legs 8 and bottom-supporting slats 9 of another crate when superposed thereon. v

The crate-tops and the sides of the crate are provided with suitablestaples 15, whereby they may be wired together, if desired. It is obvious, however, that any suitable connecting means of well-known construction may be employed. When a tier of my improved crates is racked,however, the staples upon the sides enable the several crates constituting the tier to bewir'ed together, thus increasing the security of their arrangementwith relation to each other.

In Fig. 4 of the' drawings I have shown a modification, which consists simply in substituting for the external corner-braces 10' sheetmetal braces, as 17, which may be preferred by some, said braces consisting simply of strips of sheet metal bent to an L shape in cross-section and nailed to the sides and ends of the crate, said strips being extended above the cover to form corner-brackets, as 18. In a cheaper form of crates the corner-braces may be omitted and simply L -shaped cleats be nailed to the sides and ends of the box at the upper corners thereof to constitute the corner-brackets, (here designated 19,) as shown in Fig. 5, similar L-shaped cleats being nailed near the lower corners, as shown at 21.

I usually prefer to provide my improved crates with handles whereby they may be conveniently manipulated, said handles consisting simply of short cleats 20 nailed to the upper end slats 2.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the operation and advantages of my shipping crate will be readily understood. A large number of these crates may be supported one on top of the other, and owing to the legs 8 of each being supported at the corners of the one next below there will always be an ample ventilating space between the said crates. It will further be observed that the corner-posts of the several crates are supported, each by the corner-posts of the crate or crates below. thus rendering the crushing or collapsing of any of the crates practically impossible. The bottom of the slats of each crate being nailed to and supported by the bottom-supporting end slats 7, there will be no danger of said bottom slats breaking down under any reasonable weight placed thereon. These bottom-supporting slats are included between the corner-brackets of the crate upon which the crate to which they belong is superposed, and danger of the structure of any of the crates breaking down from any ordinary cause is thereby entirely avoided.

I desire it to be understood that while I have in the foregoing described a simple and preferred construction of my improved crate I do not thereby limit myself as to the details of the same, but reserve the right to any changes and alterations which may be resorted to within the scope of my invention and without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the efficiency of the same.

Having thus described my invention, .1 claim- 1. A shipping-crate comprising four corner-posts, end slats connecting said posts in pairs, side slats connecting the pairs of end posts and overlapping the ends of the end slats, said corner-posts extending below the end and side slats and terminating level with the upper edges of the upper end and side slats, bottom-supporting slats secured to the downward-extendin g ends of the co rner-posts, and bottom slats supported upon the upper edges of the supporting-slats between the latter and the lowermost end slats.

2. A shipping-crate comprising four corner-posts, end slats and side slats connecting said corner-posts, the latter being extended below the lower edges of the end and side slats and terminating at their upper ends level with the upper edges of said end and side slats, bottom-supporting slats secured to the downward-extending ends of the corner-posts, bottom slats secured to the upper edges of said supporting-slats and confined, above the latter, by the lowermost end slats of the crate, and corner-braces secured to the sides and ends of the crate at the corners thereof, said braces being extended upwardly at the corners above the corner-posts and downwardly at their lower ends to overlap the bottomsupporting slats.

3. A shipping-crate having downwardlyextending, interiorly-disposed corner-posts, upwardly-extending, exteriorly-disposed corner-braces, a lid fitted between said cornerbraces, the latter extending above the lid, staples upon said lid and upon the sides of the crate, and connecting means for said staples.

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ERASMUS L. HAMMOND.

\Vitnesses:

WILL HEssLnR, HULDA BERGLAND. 

